NHL power rankings: Mitch Marner’s return a reminder of what Leafs are missing
With Hunter Crowther
Normally, I use this opening paragraph as a chance to ramble about the current state of the league, or recent events as a whole. But I’m going to be frank with you. I’m typing this up at 2:30 a.m. ET after spending the better part of seven hours stranded in downtown Toronto due to a snow storm (yes, that’s possible), including 1-2 hours in said storm waiting for a bus that never came. I got nothing for you this week. I just want to go to bed. If you notice that Hunter has a lot more to say this week than me, that’s why.
Hunter Crowther and I navigate through the season with another year of our co-op power rankings. I have my same old system in which I aggregate six stats (points %, 5-on-5 goal differential, 5-on-5 xGF/60, 5-on-5 xGA/60, power play xGF/60, and shorthanded xGA/60, all coming courtesy of Natural Stat Trick) to come up with a list that eliminates my own biases, along with a rule that no team can be above a team that’s more than five points ahead of them in the standings, regardless of where the aggregate places them. On the other hand, Hunter goes off his own intellect and pure vibes, and together we find a way to combine it and meet in the middle.
1. Colorado Avalanche
Record: 35-6-9, +76
Last Week: 1st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 1st
Scott’s Rank: 1st
Scott: I got the chance to watch the Avalanche in person while covering their 4-1 win over the Leafs, and they are just as overwhelming in person as they are on the screen. Their speed took control of the game, even when it wasn’t always noticeable, and the Leafs just never had an answer to them. One thing I’ve always liked about Colorado’s game is how everyone fits into the system and looks fast, to the point where Josh Manson and Brent Burns are on the ice playing like Cale Makar. Even though they lost four of five games going into Sunday, there was no doubt they were going to win.
Hunter: For a team to be 50 games into the season and have more overtime and shootout losses than regulation losses is absurd. Six of their 15 total defeats have come in January, and even then, that stretch of 5-4-2 would be considered fine for nearly any other team in the league. Don’t forget, this “cold stretch” is without Gabriel Landeskog and Devon Toews.
2. Carolina Hurricanes
Record: 32-15-5, +30
Last Week: 2nd (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Scott’s Rank: 2nd
Hunter: The hits keep coming for the Hurricanes, who earned two wins and five of a possible six points. Scott mentioned in last week’s power rankings that Carolina hadn’t lost the 5v5 expected goal battle in a game since Jan. 4, a stretch that lasted until Saturday when the Senators bested them. It turns out it didn’t matter, as Brandon Bussi stopped 35 shots in a 4-1 win. Speaking of Bussi, he’s been a monster in January: After giving up six goals Jan. 1 against the Canadiens, he’s gone 6-1-0 with a .927 save percentage (SV%), giving up just one goal in four of those seven games.
Scott: While the Hurricanes will always have the “they lack an elite scorer” cloud hanging over them, the other big question heading into the playoffs is their goaltending. Bussi’s been fantastic now, but can he keep this play up in the postseason when he’s playing the same team over and over again? Can Frederik Andersen find some return to form? Only time will tell.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
Record: 32-14-4, +47
Last Week: 3rd (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd
Scott’s Rank: 3rd
Scott: After a stretch which saw the Lightning win 14 of 15 games, they found themselves in the midst of a barnburner with the Blue Jackets, one which they wound up losing 8-5. This recent run of play of theirs has been incredible, especially when you remember all the injuries they’ve had to overcome this year. It also has me thinking about how good this team will be when they’re healthy. Imagine a top-four defense corps of Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, J.J. Moser and Darren Raddysh. If Andrei Vasilevskiy can return to playoff form this year, the Lightning will be a tough out.
4. Detroit Red Wings
Record: 32-16-5, +8
Last Week: 6th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 5th
Scott’s Rank: 4th
Hunter: Fifty-three games into the season, I think we at Daily Faceoff are safe to make this pronouncement: The Detroit Red Wings will make the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16. The only remaining player from that group is Dylan Larkin, who scored the game-winning goal in overtime against the Leafs last Wednesday and is on pace for the first 40-goal season of his career.
Also, allow me to eat some crow when it comes to the Red Wings’ goaltending: I was skeptical the combination of John Gibson and Cam Talbot would be enough, but Gibson has taken the reins and is playing like it’s 2018. In his last 20 games, he’s gone 17-3-0 with a .925 SV%, and his 12.2 5v5 GSAx is fourth among NHL goalies during that span. It was in 2018 that Gibson was last in the Stanley Cup Playoffs; if he returns to that form, Detroit might be able to do some damage.
Scott: Red Wings fans, I would just like to clarify that it was HUNTER CROWTHER that spoke about Detroit’s playoff chances with such certainty. I believe in this year’s team, but I’m not foolish enough to jinx them. If the Wings miss the playoffs, please direct your hate his way.
Hunter: That’s right, Scott. It’s spelled H-U-N-T-E-R, then C-R-O-W-T-H-E-R. You can send your letters to 1060 West Addison Street, Chicago, Ill. 60613.
5. Dallas Stars
Record: 29-14-9, +28
Last Week: 5th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 6th
Scott’s Rank: 6th
Hunter: The Stars have looked mediocre in January, but they were much better last week, starting with a 6-2 win over the Bruins that snapped Boston’s six-game winning streak. Dallas then finished with a 70% 5v5 expected goal percentage (xGF%) against the Blue Jackets but couldn’t get one past Jet Greaves in a 1-0 loss. Jason Robertson finished the week with the game winner against the Blues, scoring his 30th of the season with one minute left in the third period. His 30 goals lead all U.S. skaters this season, which apparently doesn’t mean that much in the grand scheme of things.
6. Vegas Golden Knights
Record: 25-14-12, +10
Last Week: 4th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 8th
Scott: If there’s one thing I found hilarious coming out of Friday’s game which saw Mitch Marner return to Toronto, it’s that all the usual suspects in that game did not show up. Toronto as a collective had a poor outing in the 6-3 loss, while Marner himself had just one shot and no points in the game. As much as it was hyped up all season, this probably should have been looked at as the most plausible outcome. The Golden Knights have also been on a good run of late, going 8-2-0 before a forgettable performance against the Senators on Sunday.
Hunter: Vegas strikes me as one of those teams that no matter how average or cold they look on any given night or over a stretch of games, there’s a thought in the back of your head that says: “They’ll figure it out.” Also, Mark Stone continues to be a workhorse on the ice: His 20 goals and 14 expected goals rank third and fourth on the Golden Knights, respectively, despite having missed 16 games this season. I’m excited to see how he performs in Italy next month.
7. Pittsburgh Penguins
Record: 26-14-11, +17
Last Week: 10th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 9th
Scott’s Rank: 5th
Hunter: I’ll be honest, I’ve been hesitant to award much praise to this Penguins squad beyond something like Lucille Bluth muttering “good for her.” But after another productive week that saw Pittsburgh win all four of their games in regulation, you have to give them their flowers, or at least chocolates with a gift card.
The Penguins’ 6-2 win over the Oilers was extremely impressive; it wasn’t just the six goals on their former goalie in Tristan Jarry, or the three goals in a 37-second span to open the game … it’s the fact they came into Edmonton’s rink, kicked down the door and took the remote control.
The NHL regular season is six months of mundanity, filled with meaningless weekday road games and ice baths and bobblehead nights. But there are nights that matter more than others, and when you get a chance to fly across the continent to play the best player in the world, you better be ready to show up. That’s what the Penguins did, and that’s what they continue to do.
8. Minnesota Wild
Record: 29-14-10, +17
Last Week: 8th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 7th
Scott: The Wild had a solid road trip out in the East, beating the Sabres and Leafs before dropping a close game to the Canadiens. They then returned home to play in two overtime thrillers, first besting the Red Wings on Thursday before falling to the Panthers on Saturday. I’m going to be honest though: I’m still not convinced the Wild are one of the top teams in the league. They saw some improvement in their underlying numbers initially after acquiring Quinn Hughes, but that play has dropped again, with the Wild losing the expected goals battle in seven of their last 10. Another big move needs to be made if they want to keep up with the Avalanche and Stars.
9. Florida Panthers
Record: 28-20-3, -8
Last Week: 11th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 7th
Scott’s Rank: 9th
Scott: The Panthers have won their last three games, and it was badly needed, as they still find themselves sixth in the Atlantic Division and need to keep up with the five teams to make the playoffs. There was a brief moment where I wondered if they were cooked, but the winning streak has kept them in the conversation. Also, Matthew Tkachuk is back! That will help things! While the power forward isn’t quite at his normal level yet, he’s still played solidly with three assists in four games.
10. Edmonton Oilers
Record: 26-19-8, +8
Last Week: 7th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 10th
Scott’s Rank: 10th
Scott: The Oilers got another matchup against Tristan Jarry’s former team in the Penguins, and it did not go quite as well as the first time. Jarry was lit up for six goals on 23 shots, and to add salt to the wound, Stuart Skinner wasn’t even in the other net. That game and a 2-1 loss to the Devils marked a tough start to the week, but they bounced back with a 6-5 overtime win over the Capitals, which saw Evan Bouchard contribute on all six points and catapult himself into a tie for second in defensemen scoring with Zach Werenski. I sure hope Canada isn’t lacking offense from the back end in a few weeks.
Hunter: I watch a fair amount of Oilers games, and what’s stood out this season is there’s stretches of play where if neither Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl are on the ice, they look bad. They can’t break the puck out, they’re hemmed in their own end, losing what feels like every 1-on-1 battle. The fact they’re just two points back of first in the Pacific Division speaks volumes to just how valuable McDavid and Draisaitl — and to a lesser extent, Zach Hyman — are to this franchise.
11. Montreal Canadiens
Record: 28-17-7, +2
Last Week: 9th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 11th
Scott’s Rank: 12th
Hunter: The Canadiens started the week with an impressive win over the Wild, as Cole Caufield scored the game-winning goal with 15 seconds left in the third period. Despite Montreal losing their next two in regulation, Caufield scored once against the Sabres and three times against the Bruins, giving him 29 on the season.
Hey, did you notice that Caufield and the Stars’ Robertson are fourth and third in league goal scoring, respectively? The only two players in the NHL with more goals are Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid? If only there was a two-week tournament where scoring goals was an imp— you know what? Nevermind. The horse is dead and on its way to the glue factory.
12. Utah Mammoth
Record: 27-20-4, +22
Last Week: 13th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 11th
Scott: The Mammoth only played twice last week but added to their seven-game point streak with wins over the Flyers and Predators. The Flyers win required a crazy comeback to do so (more on that later), but the win over Nashville was an important one, as the two teams entered the game just four points apart in the standings. While we aren’t quite in the stretch where these wins are super important (or at least focussed on a lot more), it’s telling that this Mammoth team may be a legit playoff team with how they’re taking care of business in these games.
13. Buffalo Sabres
Record: 29-17-5, +17
Last Week: 14th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 13th
Scott’s Rank: 14th
Scott: The Sabres have quickly become one of my favorite teams in the league (or at the very least, they’re the team whose success I’m rooting for the most). While a lot of this team is still Kevyn Adams’ doing, Jarmo Kekalainen made the first big stamp on this team by locking Josh Doan up to a $6.95 million AAV for seven years. That deal would age fantastically in a flat-cap era, so it looks amazing in a rising-cap era, and Doan’s play is making many rethink their takes on the JJ Peterka trade. Now they just need to get Zach Benson extended while he can be had for cheap in the long term. If he keeps making passes like this, his value will rise quickly.
what a look from Benson
14. Philadelphia Flyers
Record: 24-17-9, -4
Last Week: 16th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 15th
Scott’s Rank: 15th
Scott: Since our power rankings look at the Flyers’ team as a whole, they do in fact deserve to move up two spots. In an Eastern Conference that’s seen many teams slide of late, Philly getting points in all three games is huge, even if the blown lead against the Mammoth stings.
However, if we were specifically ranking Garnet Hathaway, we may have to put him in an exclusive tier even lower than 32nd. I don’t want to pile on the guy, especially when he has only one goal in 44 games, but he had the best chance he’s had all season to double his total, and he Patrik Stefaned it, which cost the Flyers the game. I’m usually of the opinion that empty net goals/points don’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but in an isolated situation like this, it was incredibly important. The pressure clearly got to Hathaway on the play, but it’s just an ugly situation amidst an ugly season for the winger.
Garnet Hathaway is beyond cooked.
Hunter: I love that the only two times an empty-net goal comes up is when a player screws it up or if Alex Ovechkin is about to break the league’s all-time goal record. Also, am I the only one who, when he saw Hathaway’s name over and over on social media, they thought of the 1993 Eurodance anthem “What Is Love” by Trinidadian-German singer Haddaway?
Scott: I’m pretty sure most people will associate the name “Hathaway” with the Academy Award-winning actress, Hunter.
15. Washington Capitals
Record: 25-21-7, +11
Last Week: 12th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 14th
Scott’s Rank: 16th
Hunter: The last month-and-a-half has been downright awful for the Capitals. On Dec. 8, they were 18-9-3, first in the Metropolitan Division with the second-best goal differential in the NHL at plus-27. But in the 23 games since, they’ve gone 7-12-4 and are now fifth in the division and five points back of a Wildcard spot. At least Tom Wilson returned to the lineup after an eight-game absence; he recorded four assists in three games last week.
16. Anaheim Ducks
Record: 28-21-3, -8
Last Week: 20th (+4)
Hunter’s Rank: 18th
Scott’s Rank: 13th
Hunter: One way to get over a nine-game losing streak is with a seven-game winning streak, which is where the Ducks now find themselves. To be fair, one of last week’s victories was a 2-1 shootout win over the Avalanche, a game that saw Anaheim get outshot 41-16 and finish with a 5v5 xGF% of around 20%. Look, two points are two points and the Ducks are back in a top-three spot in the Pacific, but it’s unclear where they’ll be in April.
Scott: Also, shoutout to Jackson LaCombe, who got named to the United States Olympic team last week to replace Seth Jones. Many were surprised he got the call, but those who have followed his game for the last calendar year know he’s very deserving of the spot. Although I will say, I think Bill Guerin has reached the point where he’s just not going to select Adam Fox as a replacement to spite his critics.
17. Boston Bruins
Record: 30-20-2, +12
Last Week: 17th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 16th
Scott’s Rank: 17th
Hunter: The Bruins’ six-game winning streak was snapped by the Stars, but back-to-back 4-3 victories over the Golden Knights and Canadiens gave them 10 wins in their last 12. Boston now holds one of the Eastern Conference’s Wildcard spots, and while the playoffs aren’t a sure thing, I wonder if any of the four first-round picks they possess for 2026 and 2027 are on the table.
P.S. We’re all cheering for the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, right? I just wanted to make sure.
Scott: I don’t know Hunter, Patriots fans had to endure four seasons with a losing record in the last five years, and six years without a Super Bowl. They’ve earned this.
Hunter: Forget firefighters and paramedics and Batman: Boston sports fans are the real heroes in this world.
18. Ottawa Senators
Record: 24-21-7, 0
Last Week: 15th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 17th
Scott’s Rank: 18th
Hunter: I had planned to write off the last week for the Senators, especially after a 4-1 loss to the Hurricanes in a game in which Ottawa actually looked like the better team for large chunks. But with a 7-1 win over the Golden Knights, the Sens go into this week with some momentum. Linus Ullmark was activated by the club and served as the backup against Vegas, so expect him to see his first game action since Dec. 27 soon.
19. Los Angeles Kings
Record: 21-16-13, -9
Last Week: 21st (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 19th
Scott: Just when it looked like the Kings were going to fade away into the night after a stretch of six losses in seven games, they rebounded by winning both games last week. However, they were against a Rangers team that has already thrown in the towel and a Blues team who is another bad streak away from doing the same, so I wouldn’t exactly say the Kings are back either. The fate of their season still seemed in doubt after Darcy Kuemper left Tuesday’s game with an injury, but he returned on Saturday. Despite all of this chaos in L.A., they’re still tied for the final Wildcard spot, so they’re still in the hunt, although having the second-fewest regulation wins won’t help any tiebreaker situation for them.
20. Columbus Blue Jackets
Record: 24-20-7, -11
Last Week: 22nd (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 21st
Scott’s Rank: 20th
Scott: Don’t look now, but the Blue Jackets are 5-1-0 since firing Dean Evason. That may be the least-surprising thing to happen to them right now, as the new-coach bump hits every team, but it came at a key time, as they’ve clung onto their playoff hopes and stayed in the conversation for the time being. I’m not ready to call them playoff contenders just yet, but it would be really funny if they made the dance with a coach in Rick Bowness who is as “damage control hire” as it gets.
Hunter: Part of me still thinks Bowness is on the path of “savvy veteran coach comes in to do a checkup on all the players, then accepts a cushy player development role in the summer,” but maybe I should stop underrating the 71-year-old bench boss. Maybe he deserves some credit for helping Adam Fantilli score his first goal since Dec. 16, a stretch that lasted 17 games. Either way, I feel like Bowness is here to tell Don Waddell who’s worth keeping beyond this season, and who could be worth moving at the Trade Deadline.
21. New York Islanders
Record: 27-19-5, 0
Last Week: 18th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 20th
Scott’s Rank: 22th
Scott: In the Islanders’ last 16 games, they’re virtually .500, as they have a 8-6-2 record in that span. Luckily for them, the rest of the Eastern Conference is allergic to winning, as only two of the non-playoff teams have winning records. That’s kept New York in third place in the Metropolitan Division for the time being, but they have four teams breathing down their neck. The Islanders will need to up their play if they want to hang onto that spot.
22. New Jersey Devils
Record: 27-23-2, -21
Last Week: 25th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 24th
Scott’s Rank: 21st
Hunter: It’s been two weeks since the Dougie Hamilton trade speculation hit its fever pitch, and in that time, the 32-year-old defender is on an eight-game point streak, which includes scoring his first goal since Jan. 3 on Sunday against the Kraken. If you take every New Jersey blueliner’s last 10 games, Hamilton’s 0.8 5v5 xG ranks highest. Did the Devils accidentally trigger something in Hamilton and make him a top-four defender, again?
23. Toronto Maple Leafs
Record: 24-19-9, -6
Last Week: 19th (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 22nd
Scott’s Rank: 24th
Scott: I think it’s safe to say the Leafs’ hot run in late December/early January has cooled off, as they’ve lost six of their last seven games. I wasn’t as sold on their “strong road trip” as others were, especially when they merely went 2-1-1 and had no regulation wins. Yes, the Avalanche win was a competitive one, but that has all been for naught considering their recent form. Their current homestand has been horrendous, losing all four games and not even playing in the same league as their opponent in three of them.
The most notable one was the 6-3 loss to Vegas, which was the biggest home game of the regular season so far and the Leafs looked like they always do in the playoffs. Sure, Marner wasn’t his best self in that game either, but in a week where the Leafs have lacked the talent to keep up with some tough opponents, Marner’s skill has certainly been missed.
The Leafs are now five points out of a playoff spot, and after they finish their homestand tomorrow (against a red-hot Sabres team no less), they have just 10 home games remaining on their schedule, and 19 on the road. They’re currently 8-11-3 on the road, so having to save your season in a situation that you haven’t succeeded in thus far is not ideal. Toronto’s season isn’t over yet, but they have basically no room for error at this point. It doesn’t help that their current lingo gives them zero idea how they should approach the deadline, and with teams looking to buy before the Olympic break, the best options may be gone by the time the Leafs make up their mind.
Hunter: I’m trying, Scott. I’m trying real hard to be the shepherd. But having watched this team play the last few weeks, perhaps I was premature to bring out the “We Are So Back O’Meter” following their win on Hockey Night in Canada over the Canucks. Maybe a 5-0 win against the last-place team in the league wasn’t a good indicator of how good the Leafs were. I’m a grown man, I can admit I was wrong. But it feels like time’s running out for this Toronto group.
24. Nashville Predators
Record: 24-23-4, -26
Last Week: 23rd (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 23rd
Scott’s Rank: 23rd
Hunter: Do you know how cold it is in Nashville right now? It’s 12 F, which equates to -11 C. I’m talking about Nashville … Tennessee! I just can’t get over it. The images of frozen roads and icicles covering the city blows my mind.
Oh right, the hockey team … the Predators lost two of three but are still three points back of a Wildcard spot in the Western Conference. Steven Stamkos continues his resurgence, recording his 16th career hat trick in Nashville’s 5-3 win over the Senators. He now has 25 goals on the season, 19 of which have come in December and January.
25. Seattle Kraken
Record: 23-19-9, -11
Last Week: 26th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 25th
Scott’s Rank: 25th
Hunter: Seattle won two of four games last week, despite having lost the even-strength expected goals battle in every one of their games. Let’s give some credit to Philipp Grubauer, who in his last 10 games has only given up 13 even-strength goals and has a league-leading 11 5v5 goals saved above expected. The Kraken’s playoff hopes run exclusively through Grubauer and Joey Daccord.
26. San Jose Sharks
Record: 26-21-3, -18
Last Week: 28th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 27th
Scott’s Rank: 26th
Hunter: The Sharks closed a four-game road trip with two contests in the Sunshine State, beating the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers, then recording a loss to the Lightning. San Jose bounced back against the Rangers, thanks to two goals from Macklin Celebrini and a 28-save performance from Alex Nedeljkovic. Speaking of Nedeljkovic, he’s won five straight and has allowed two or less fewer in four of those games.
27. New York Rangers
Record: 21-25-6, -23
Last Week: 24th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 26th
Scott’s Rank: 27th
Hunter: When NHL teams fly out west for the three-game California road trip, it can help unite the group, allowing them to ignore the stresses from back home and enjoy the sunshine, then fly back with a sense of comradery. Anyway, that’s not what happened for the Rangers, who lost all three games in regulation and now sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Sell, sell, sell!
28. Calgary Flames
Record: 21-25-6, -23
Last Week: 27th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 28th
Scott’s Rank: 29th
Hunter: If I were a Flames fan, what would frustrate me is, despite losing all four games last week, Calgary is closer in points to a Wildcard spot than last in the league. If you’re serious about a rebuild, then they need to start stripping this thing down to parts, then selling whatever scraps remain. Don’t wait until after the Olympics: immediately start moving the names that have been mentioned ad nauseum and get this thing over with. Rasmus Anderson was a good start, but we can think bigger.
Scott: In defense of your point on the Flames being closer to the playoffs than last: the Canucks are a very high bar to clear in terms of ineptitude.
29. Winnipeg Jets
Record: 20-24-7, -9
Last Week: 30th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 29th
Scott’s Rank: 30th
Hunter: The Jets lost three of four games last week, which puts them eight points back of a Wildcard spot. You have to feel bad for Connor Hellebuyck, who allowed just one goal in each of his starts against the Blackhawks and Panthers, but Winnipeg failed to provide him with any offense. The Jets’ next four games are on the road, then they host the Canadiens before the Olympic break.
Scott: You also have to feel bad for the suckers who drafted Hellebuyck with their first-round pick in fantasy hockey. I don’t know who would be stupid enough to do that though. Definitely not me (he says with a 13-3 record and a clinched playoff spot).
Hunter: I somehow picked up Hellebuyck in the third round and am 6-10 going into the week. For no particular reason, it’s Filip Forsberg’s fault.
30. St. Louis Blues
Record: 19-24-9, -52
Last Week: 29th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 31st
Scott’s Rank: 28th
Scott: Jordan Binnington playing for Canada’s Olympic team has to be a sick joke at this point. Binnington has not just been bad, he’s been one of the worst goalies in the league, if not the worst with his -10.89 5v5 goals saved above expected (which is, not surprisingly, last), and just eight of his 29 games played this season have seen him post a SV% above .900. I get why he was named, but at this point you can’t even give him a start off merit, especially if it’s the first game against Czechia. Joel Hofer has at least kept the Blues from being a total disaster, as they’ve been 6-3-1 in his last 10 starts, but a big reason for their poor performance this season has been Binnington’s struggles – and the Blues’ refusal to relegate him to the backup position.
31. Chicago Blackhawks
Record: 21-23-8, -23
Last Week: 31st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 30th
Scott’s Rank: 31st
Hunter: The Blackhawks remain in the Wildcard race with wins over the Jets and Hurricanes. I mean, they’re five points out, but still! Connor Bedard deserves his share of praise, but Spencer Knight is the reason why Chicago is still above water. Ahead of Sunday’s 5-1 loss to the Panthers, Knight had gone through a 14-game span dating back to Dec. 10 which saw him record a .912 SV% and give up more than three goals just once.
32. Vancouver Canucks
Record: 17-30-5, -52
Last Week: 32nd (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 32nd
Scott’s Rank: 32nd
Hunter: Yes, the Canucks are bad, but do you know when a team is really bad? It’s when their last 10 losses come in regulation. Do you realize how impressive that is in today’s NHL? Even the worst teams can trip into some overtime and shootout points during a bad stretch.
Quick thought: Rick Dhaliwal said last week on Donnie and Dhali the Canucks may shut Thatcher Demko down for the remainder of the season. The goaltender’s three-year contract extension with an $8.5-million cap hit and a full no-movement clause kicks in on July 1, but his current deal has no trade protection, whatsoever. Is there a team in the league that would take a chance on the 30-year-old Demko?
At his best, he’s one of the best in the game, but injuries have taken a toll and we may have already seen his best stuff. Still, there’s always one general manager who thinks, “I can fix him.”
Scott: I’m still very curious to see a) where Elias Pettersson ends up, and b) if that team can fix him.
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